Garment having adjustable length



March 1966 J. E. BIRCHWOOD 3,

GARMENT HAVING ADJUSTABLE LENGTH Filed Jan. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Joan E. BIRCHWOOD ATTORNEYS J. E. BIRCHWOOD 3,241,156

March 22, 1966 GARMENT HAVING ADJUSTABLE LENGTH 2 Sheets-Sh et 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1964 FIG. 8

INVENTOR Joan E. BIRCHWOOD xfl ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,241,156 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 3,241,156 GARMENT HAVING ADJUSTABLE LENGTH Joan E. Birchwood, 102 Sheraton Drive, Montreal West, Quebec, Canada Filed Jan. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 335,181 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-75) This invention relates to an improved garment having adjustable length and particularly to a childs dress in which the hem-line elevation may be adjusted without the need for any sewing operations.

It should be noted that although the following specification and figures refer to improvements in childrens dresses it will be understood that the features of the present invention can equally well be applied to dresses of all sizes to fit wearers of any age.

It is well known that rapidly growing children equally rapidly outgrow their dresses before the dresses are sufii'ciently worn to be discarded. This presents the constant problem of increasing the lengths of the dresses to keep up with the growth of the children.

The conventional procedure for increasing the length of a dress is to adjust the hem-line of the dress by unloading the hem stitching, restitching the hem, and then repressing the hem to remove the old hem-line crease mark.

This is a relatively time consuming procedure usually requiring the services of a competent dressmaker. This procedure also leaves undesirable stitch marks in certain materials, clearly indicating the position of the original hem or herns.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages mentioned with regard to the conventional procedure by providing a dress which can be altered in length in a matter of moments and which does not require any hem stitching or pressing.

The basic features of the present invention provide a garment of substantially tubular shape having neck and arm openings at the upper end thereof and being opened at the lower end with shoulder straps of adjustable length attached thereto. The lower portion of the garment is turned inwardly and upwardly until the shoulder straps on the lower end are in position to fit over the shoulders of a wearer and thus support the upwardly folded lower portion. The fold line thus forms the hem-line of the garment and the elevation of the hem-line can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the shoulder straps.

The adjustable shoulder straps fitted to the lower end of the garment include simple fastening means such as buttons, snap fastenings, or hooks and eyes, etc.

The process of adjusting the fitted length of the garment becomes, therefore, simply a matter of releasing the fastening means on the shoulder straps, lifting the lower portion of the garment further upwards to raise the fold or hem-line and to decrease the length of the garment, or lowering the lower portion to increase the length of the garment, and then refastening the fastening means on the shoulder straps.

Another advantageous feature of the present invention is that the upwardly folded lower portion provides an inner layer, making the garment, effectively fully lined and removing the need for a petticoat or similar undergarment.

It is, therefore, the main object of the present invention to provide an improved dress-type garment, the length of which can be adjusted without the need for any stitching operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dress-type garment in which the lower portion is turned inwardly and upwardly, providing a dress having two layers and thus removing the need for a petticoat or similar undergarment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved dress-type garment, the length of which can be adjusted without leaving any crease marks from the original hem-line and without needing any pressing operations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved dress-type garment, the length of which can be adjusted without requiring any dressmaking experienoe and without the need for any specialized equipment, by simply adjusting fastening means on shoulder straps.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be further apparent by reference to the following detailed specification and figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a childs jumper-type dress embodying the features of the present invention and shown in the state before the lower portion is folded inwardly and upwardly for fitting.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the dress shown in FIG. 1, but shown folded in the fitted state.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the dress as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section on 4-4 in FIG. 2 showing details of a shoulder strap and outer dress shoulder portion.

FIG. 5 is a section on 5-5 in FIG. 1 showing, to

an enlarged scale, details of a shoulder strap according to the preferred execution of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a detail of shoulder straps according to an alternative execution of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a section on 7-7 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a section on 8-8 in FIG. 7 and shows, to an enlarged scale, details of the fastening means embodied in the alternative execution of the present invention.

With reference now to FIG. 1, which shows a front elevation of a childs jumper-type dress before being folded inwardly and upwardly for fitting, the substantially tubular garment 11 comprises an upper body fitting portion 12 attached at the waistline 13 to a. skirt portion 14. Skirt portion 14 is extended downwardly below hemline 15 to form a lower tubular portion 16 which is open at the lower end thereof. The open end of lower portion 16 is adapted to form neck opening 17 and arm openings 18, with adjustable shoulder strap portions 19 fitted therebetween. The upper end of upper body fitting portion 12 contains neck opening 20 and arm openings 21.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show front and side elevations, respectively, of the childs jumper-type dress shown in FIG. 1, but in which lower portion 16 is folded inwardly and upwardly until adjustable shoulder strap portions 19 are adjacent the shoulder portions 22 formed between neck opening 20 and arm openings 21 of upper body portion 12. In this fitted state the lower fold line is on hemline 15 and the dress now comprises a two-layer garment.

FIG. 4 is a section on 44 in FIG. 2 and shows, in detail, an adjustable shoulder strap portion 19 adjacent shoulder portion 22.

FIG. 5 is a section on 55 in FIG. 1 and shows details of the preferred execution of shoulder strap length adjusting means in which shoulder strap portion 19 contains a plurality of buttonholes 23, and the lower end of lower portion 16 has buttons 24 attached thereto. Thus adjusting the lengths of shoulder strap portions 19 is simply a matter of selecting appropriate buttonholes.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show details of shoulder straps and adjusting means according to an alternative execution.

In this alternative execution separate front and rear shoulder strap portions 25 and 26 respectively extend downwardly from the front and rear lower edges of lower portion 16 and overlap to form the shoulder straps. In FIG, 6 shoulder strap portions 25 and 26 are shown fastened together on the left hand side and unfastened on the right hand side. The overlapping shoulder strap portions 25 and 26 are fastened together by a plurality of snap fasteners 27, the male portions 28 of which are attached to a tape 29 sewn to front shoulder strap portion 25 and the female portions 30 of which are attached to a tape 31 sewn to rear shoulder strap portion 26. Thus adjustment of the shoulder strap lengths is simply executed by connecting appropriate snap fasteners 27.

Shoulder strap portions 19 and front and rear shoulder strap portions 25 and 26 may also be in the form of cross-over straps, the strap cross-over preferably being made on the back of the wearer, before passing over the shoulders.

It will be understood that numerous other means can be used for obtaining adjustment of the shoulder strap length, such as hooks and eyes fastened to shoulder strap portions 25 and 26.

It will be further understood that the childs dress illustrated in the figures is a preferred execution and that the features of the present invention can equally well be applied to other types of garments, such as dresses having sleeves and collars, or to dresses having outer shoulder straps.

To effect economies in dress material lower tubular portion 16 can be made from a less expensive material than that of the outer body and skirt portions of the garment, the connecting seam between the two materials being made at a convenient position below hem-line 15. This feature can also be used to provide specific lining materials for the inner layer of the garment.

What I claim is:

1. A garment of adjustable length comprising a body member of substantially tubular shape, said body member having openings at the upper end thereof to receive the neck and arms of a wearer and being open at the low-er end thereof, shoulder strap portions positioned at said open lower end, said lower end adapted to be turned inwardly and upwardly until said strap portions are in position to fit over the shoulders of said wearer, the fold-line in said garment forming a lower hem-line, said shoulder straps being adjustable in length such that reducing the length of said shoulder strap portions will result in raising the elevation of said hem-line and increasing the length of said shoulder strap portions will result in lowering the elevation of said hem-line.

2. A garment of adjustable length as set forth in claim 1 in which said shoulder strap portions include separate shoulder straps, said separate shoulder straps being adjustably connected to the lower end of said garment by button and buttonhole means.

3. A garment of adjustable length as set forth in claim 1 in which said shoulder stra ortions include an adjustable shoulder strap for each of said shoulder-s, each of said adjustable shoulder straps comprising a front strap attached to the front surface of the lower end of said garment and a rear strap attached to the rear surface of the lower end of said garment, said front and rear stra s being adjustably connected by snap fastener means.

4. A garment of adjustable length comprising a body member of substantially tubular shape, said body member having openings at the upper end thereof to receive the neck and arms of a wearer and being open at the lower end thereof, fastening elements positioned at said open lower end, said lower end adapted to be turned inwardly and upwardly until said fastening elements are in position connecting with co-operating fastening elements adapted to fit over the shoulders of said wearer, the fold-line in said garment forming a lower hem-line, said co-operating fastening elements being adjustable in length such that reducing the length of said co-operating fastening elements will result in raising the elevation of said hem-line and increasing the length of said co-operating fastening elements will result in lowering the elevation of said hem-line.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,809 1/1905 Sherick 275 1,992,892 2/1935 Schoenberger 273 2,638,598 5/1953 Abramson 2-75 2,743,450 5/1956 Kling. 2,942,272 6/1960 Ovagyan 2-74 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

M. I. COLITZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT OF ADJUSTABLE LENGTH COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR SHAPE, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING OPENINGS AT THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF TO RECEIVE THE NECK AND ARMS OF A WEARER AND BEING OPEN AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, SHOULDER STRAP POSITIONED AT SAID OPEN LOWER END, SAID LOWER END ADAPTED TO BE TURNED INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY UNTIL SAID STRAP PORTIONS ARE IN POSITION TO FIT OVER THE SHOULDERS OF SAID WEARER, 